State Approves Facility For Drunken Drivers

May 16, 1986|by JEFFREY G. FLEISHMAN, The Morning Call

A proposal to reduce crowding at Lehigh County Prison by opening a separate facility for drunken driving offenders has gained approval from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which could mean a $50,000 state grant.

The commission approved the "concept paper" submitted by the county, which detailed how the county's judicial system would incorporate and run a separate facility for drunken drivers. The paper also detailed support the project has from commissioners and administrators.

"The concept paper was very good," said Skip Brown, the commission's jail overcrowding manager. Before the county can receive a $50,000 grant for the facility, it must have its final application approved. Because the county's concept paper was approved, Brown said, "chances are very good" the county will receive the grant. The commission will vote on the county's application during its September meeting.

In March the county was informed that its original concept paper was turned down by the commission because it was a "weak proposal" that failed to detail how the judicial system would run the facility. Thisdrew criticism from several commissioners, including John McHugh, who blamed Lehigh County Executive David K. Bausch's staff for not submitting a strong enough proposal.

Brown told county officials they could re-submit the concept paper for a second round of funding. Lehigh and Lancaster counties were identified as the two counties that may be eligible for second-round grants based on revised and improved concept papers.

"I'm very happy to have that news because we want to move as quickly as we can on this project," said McHugh, who chairs the prison long-range planning committee. "I am finally optimistic that we will receive this grant."

Bausch said, "We knew our concept was correct from the very beginning. . . . It was just a matter of giving the commission the necessary details."

County Planner Jim Creedon said, "We never felt we were rejected or that we lost the money. It was just a matter of the commission wanting some clarifications on our proposal." Creedon's office, Development Planner Nanette DiLauro and the human services department worked on the concept paper.

Warden Timothy Carver said, "The new facility will not have a major impact on prison population immediately. But in years to come it may play a larger role." Carver said the prison averages about six drunken driving offenders a month. These are usually second-time offenders who are sentenced to 30 days in prison but are entitled to work release.

Because the work release is a separate section of the prison, Carver said, the drunken driving facility will do little to reduce the overcrowding in the prison's general population. The warden said the facility would be good for drunken driving offenders because it would offer confinement and counseling away from the typical prison atmosphere.

"They won't be subject to the things that go on in a prison, such as rapes and assaults," the warden said.

The drunken driving facility, which would also house inmates on work release, would be based in Keenan House's facility at 114 N. 9th St. in Allentown. Keenan House, a rehabilitation center for drug users and alcoholics, is moving to 6th Street.

Richard Sandl, Keenan House director, said he is not sure if his agency would provide counseling to drunken drivers. "Everything is up in the air now. We're having a meeting next week," he said.

Overcrowding has been a problem at the prison for five years. It has led to calls for a new, larger prison and for more progressive parole programs for non-violent offenders. Many times the prison population rises above 300. The prison, which is 119 years old, was built to hold about 150. In many cases there are four inmates to a cell.

The commissioners formed the long-range prison planning committee last year in attempts to resolve overcrowding and other problems. Two of the committee's recommendations have been a separate facility for drunken driving offenders and an officer to monitor the prison population to determine what inmates could be released based on parole and other eligibilities.

Many times, according to judicial officials, inmates who are eligible for parole programs sit needlessly in prison because of bureaucracy and other delays.

Earlier this week the commissioners had the first reading on a bill to hire a prison population officer at a salary of about $26,000. Some commissioners, including Jane Baker, are skeptical and want more information on what the role of the officer would be.